


Behind the Counter

by Pinetasticapple



Series: 30 Day Cheesy Tropes challenge [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, coffee shop AU, from a different pov this time, mention of other characters, this is how they meet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-10
Updated: 2014-06-10
Packaged: 2018-02-04 02:22:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1762809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinetasticapple/pseuds/Pinetasticapple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam enjoyed working at The Charcoal. He knew the regulars and would always have Dean visiting at certain hours. Until something changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Behind the Counter

**Author's Note:**

> I joined the bandwagon of http://ghiraher.tumblr.com/post/37135733342/30-day-cheesy-tropes-challenge tropes!  
> I tried a different point of view for this one, hope you like it.

Sam wanted to work at the coffee shop because he wanted to help out with the monthly income. Having a full ride was great but they still had bills to pay and food to get; so, despite Dean’s protests, Sam took a part time job at “The Charcoal”. Besides, a little extra wouldn’t hurt anyone and Sam just enjoyed the place.

Dean was pissed the first weeks but eventually let go of it. He would then visit every Thursday at 1:30 in the afternoon right before his call back to work, order a large black coffee with almost no sugar, check on Sam and leave afterwards. Three months later he would add a ten or twenty in the tip jar without Sam noticing.

Sam also got to know the regulars: there was Charlie, a cool red head girl who ordered a blueberry muffin and a smoothie every Friday evening and would spend an hour or two with her laptop. There was Kevin, a kid –at least in Sam’s eyes- who ordered a black coffee to go and would study some notes while he waited for his order. Sam would see him every Friday around three.

And then there was Castiel. Castiel was an undergrad student who would be at the furthest corner with a macchiato and half a muffing gone by the time Sam arrived to his Tuesday shift, who would stand up to order a new drink and return to his studies until the muffin was gone and he would leave around four.

Yes, Sam was used to the routine. It had been like that for five months until something changed.

It all began one Tuesday with the worst rain of the season. Dean had called Sam before his shift started to ask if he could pass by instead of his usual Thursday (something about having a work thing that day and he wouldn’t be able to make it). Sam of course had no problem with it and was behind the counter, organizing the change in the register since Alfie had messed up with the bills and coins after a distressed customer. He had finished with the quarters and was about to go wash his hands when the small bell at the door chimed.

“Hey Dean, hang on a second” he automatically said, thinking it would be Dean.

“Dean?”

Sam turned and saw Castiel instead of his brother; that was another odd thing of the day but Sam had put it away, believing it had been the rain the cause of Cas arriving at this hour. He smiled in apologize “Oh, sorry I thought it would be my brother, he usually arrives around this hour”

Castiel nodded and left his umbrella close to the door, careful that it wouldn’t soak more than necessary. He was about to make his way towards the counter when the door opened again, a man almost barging his way inside. His hair was drenched with droplets of water falling down his nose and sides, the green jacket clinging to his arms and back with the weight of the water.

“Damn rain” he muttered, his feet making a squish sound with the few steps he gave “great I even got my socks soaked, this sucks”

He looked up in a huff, almost bumping into Castiel when he moved.

“Sorry, sorry man did I soak you?”

“No, not at all” Castiel answered, taking a slight step back just in case to check his clothes and bag “I don’t think you did”

“Damn it Dean you are dripping all over the entrance!” Sam interrupted the small conversation, tossing a towel at Dean’s head “try to dry up a little would you?”

Dean snorted as he grabbed the towel, Sam apologizing in his name to Castiel as he prepared the order Castiel had quietly asked.

In the end Dean had stayed longer than usual while waiting for the rain to clear up, every now and then taking a short glance at the back, with Sam giving him an amused stare in response.

When the clock above the espresso machine marked four in the afternoon, Castiel stood up and made his way to the door. He grabbed his umbrella and was about to open the door when he turned to face Dean.

“I’m heading to the main campus; if you are going nearby I could help you get there”

Dean blinked at him before smiling, the squish in his socks less audible than hours ago.

“Thanks man, I just need to get to my car”

He waved at his brother and walked towards the door to follow Castiel, leaving a confused Sam at the counter.

After that day the coffee shop routine had changed.

For instance, Dean started to come Tuesdays as well as Thursdays; sometimes he would wave at Castiel and on some occasions he would end up having a light conversation before leaving. When Cas –because at one point it had become Cas thanks to Dean- wasn’t around on Thursdays, Dean would absently talk about him with Sam, who tried his best to not pay attention to his brother’s chatter.

“Did you know that Cas has never seen a Star Wars movie?”

“Hey what do you think of this book? Cas says it’s really good”

“Hey Sam guess who finally watched The Hobbit this weekend”

Sam seriously wondered when was Dean going to seriously ask Cas out.

Not only that, but now when Sam arrived on Tuesdays he would see Cas absently nibbling on the remaining half of his muffin, now looking at the big window instead of his papers. Sam wasn’t stupid, he could see how Cas’ eyes would lit up the moment Dean appeared walking towards the door and how his smile fell when Dean had to leave early.

The weeks turned into months and by the time the finals arrived and more sleep deprived students arrived for coffee refills, Sam could tell things were about to turn serious between Dean and Cas. And it happened exactly five months after their encounter.

“Sam, I want to ask you permission to ask Dean out”

That was the first thing Sam got to hear the Tuesday he arrived to work. He blinked a couple of times, not sure if he had heard right. Cas was in front of the counter, all of his stuff back at the table, even with the muffin intact.

“I… thought you were already going out?”

“No, we have just ‘hanged around’” Cas said, making the air quotes with the last words “I want to properly ask him out and I would like to know if you are alright with it”

“I… have no problem with it?” Sam shrugged; remembering one time Dean mentioned how Cas was a fan of the traditional ways in many aspects. He now saw what that actually meant, “I mean, I find it great you and my brother” he smiled, “you know that when he says yes I’ll have to give this ‘you hurt him I hurt you’ kind of speech right?”

“When?”

“I honestly don’t think he will say no to you” Sam said “the guy is head over heels for you”

The smile Cas had was proof enough for Sam that those two were definitely going for the long run. He thanked Sam and returned to his usual place, ten minutes later smiling when Dean entered, who made a bee line towards him after saying hi to Sam.

And if Sam later grinned at Dean’s reaction when Cas held his hand and asked him out, well, that was something he would save for the wedding toast.

**Author's Note:**

> I figured why not, I need to write more often and hey, the prompts are cute.  
> Also I might not write every day, because I am still with my dissertation and I don't want to rush this. But I will complete all of them!


End file.
